nycdaug Chapter 1799 The fun begins
Chapter 1799 The fun begins
Outside Xunyang City, the black military formation was solemn and silent, with only the battle flags fluttering in the autumn wind.
Chu Ning walked out of the city gate surrounded by a group of generals.
He had put on a dazzling suit of silver armor with dragon patterns. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the armor, reflecting a cold light that made people dare not look directly at it.
Behind him, a purple dragon-patterned cloak, a symbol of nobility, dances wildly in the wind, adding to his imperial majesty and the domineering aura of a battlefield commander.
He rode his horse to the front of the army, his eyes sweeping across the countless faces filled with fighting spirit. He spoke loudly, his voice, strengthened by his inner strength, carrying clearly throughout the army:
"Soldiers of the Great Chu! We just received the battle report that the Duke of Protector of the Han Dynasty, Huo Quji, has come here in person to die!"
He paused deliberately, allowing the news and its implications to sink into the soldiers. Then, he suddenly raised his voice, "In this battle, we have only one goal—to kill Huo Quji! Crush the Han Dynasty's last hope!"
"Use Huo Quji's head to forge the supreme glory of our Great Chu! Tell me, can you do it?"
"Kill Huo Quji!"
"Kill Huo Quji!"
"Kill Huo Quji!"
A roar like a tsunami suddenly broke out and soared into the sky!
The morale of the Chu army soldiers was completely ignited, with fanatical glint in their eyes, and they couldn't wait to find the target and tear it to pieces.
Chu Ning looked at the high morale of his soldiers with satisfaction. He suddenly drew the sword from his waist, pointed the tip of the sword directly in the direction of Hongdu City, and issued the final order:
"set off!"
Suddenly, the war drums beat and the trumpets blew!
The black steel torrent started again, and under Chu Ning's personal leadership, it surged towards the designated battlefield, towards the direction of Huo Quji!
That night.
The night was like a huge inky velvet, slowly covering the barren wilderness. Only sparse stars and a cold crescent moon cast faint light, barely outlining the hideous outline of the earth.
Gongsun Ao led three thousand remaining soldiers, dragging his legs that felt like they were filled with lead, and struggled to move towards Hongdu City.
Extreme fatigue and hunger tortured everyone, and an almost numb despair permeated the team. Many soldiers could only move forward relying on their instinct for survival and the support of their comrades.
However, death did not give them a chance to breathe.
A swift horse shot out like an arrow from the darkness. The scout didn't even have time to rein in the galloping horse before he was thrown off its back. His voice was torn and distorted by extreme fear and haste:
"General! It's bad! There are a lot of torches in the back... in the back!"
"It's the Chu army! It's the Chu army's pursuers! They're less than five miles away from us! Look at the flags, it's... it's Zhao Yu's troops!"
"what?!"
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Ao's expression suddenly changed drastically, and the last bit of hope he had was completely shattered.
He pulled the reins hard, and the horse reared up, neighing restlessly.
My heart felt like it was being gripped by an icy iron hand, and a chill instantly ran through my body.
Escape? Given their current state and speed, being caught up by the elite Chu cavalry on the plain would be tantamount to a one-sided massacre.
The desperate situation actually aroused the last bit of courage in his bones.
He made a decision in an instant, his voice hoarse from shouting, but with a determination to burn his boats:
"All troops, listen up! Halt your advance! Form your formation! Prepare to meet the enemy!"
"General!" An officer looked horrified.
"If you don't want to die, obey orders!"
Gongsun Ao roared, his gaze sweeping across the terrified faces. "Escape is a dead end! Only by forming a battle formation and fighting to the death can we have a glimmer of hope!"
"This place is not far from Hongdu City. The Duke of Protector's reinforcements must be on the way! As long as we hold on, we will wait for the reinforcements!"
His words were like a stimulant, giving the confused soldiers a backbone.
The desire to survive overwhelmed fatigue, and the remaining Han troops immediately began to frantically exploit the terrain under his command, relying on the last bit of instinct trained over the years.
They were on a slightly raised earthen slope with an almost dry shallow ditch next to it.
This is the only terrain that can be relied upon in this open area.
"Quick! Use the wagons and baggage wagons to form a chariot formation! Block the front and both flanks! Spearmen! Push them all to the front! Put the butts of your spears on the ground, and point them diagonally forward! Quick!"
Gongsun Ao jumped off his horse and took command personally, his voice like thunder.
The soldiers gritted their teeth and desperately pushed together the few dilapidated carts that could still be moved, forming a simple but vital barrier.
All the remaining spearmen - about seven or eight hundred people - were urgently gathered behind the chariot formation and in the gaps, extending the spears and lances of different lengths in their hands as far as possible, forming a sparse but flashing deathly light forest of spears.
"Sword and shield soldiers! Protect the flanks of the spearmen, be ready to block arrows, and cut down any approaching enemies!"
"All archers! No matter how many arrows you have left, get to the back and center of the chariot formation! Fire at the command!"
"Wounded soldiers! Those who can move, pick up your weapons and stand in the inner circle! Even if you die, you must bite off a piece of Chu Gou's flesh!"
Gongsun Ao shouted at the top of his lungs, issuing orders one after another quickly.
The entire remaining Han army was like a hedgehog forced into a desperate situation, curling up desperately and revealing its last and most dangerous spike.
The formation was hasty and crude, even looking a little ridiculous, but at this moment, it embodied the final will and blood of the 3,000 defeated soldiers.
As soon as the deployment was completed, Gongsun Ao pulled over a relatively clever young guard beside him, pressed a command arrow into his hand, and said hurriedly in a low voice:
"You, ride your fastest horse, don't take the main road, take the small path, and rush out at all costs!"
"Go to Hongdu City! Tell the Duke of Protectorate that our troops have been held hostage by Zhao Yu's elite troops and are fighting to the death here awaiting reinforcements! Tell him to send troops to rescue us immediately! Go!"
The personal soldier nodded heavily, jumped on his horse, and with a kick of his horse's belly, he blended into the darkness on the flank silently like a ghost.
Almost the next moment after the personal guards disappeared, countless torches lit up on the horizon, like spreading will-o'-the-wisp fires, quickly connecting into a raging sea of fire.
Accompanied by the dull thunder-like sound of horse hooves, they rolled towards the small chariot formation of the Han army!
Zhao Yu took the lead, his silver armor glowing coldly under the torchlight.
He looked at the hastily formed and crude vehicle array in front of him, which looked like a candle in the wind, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't even give the order to surrender, but just waved the spear in his hand.
"Archer Archers! Deflection Fire!"
At the command, a detachment of the Chu cavalry was separated and began to gallop around the Han chariot formation like a whirlwind, drawing their bows and arrows at the same time.
"Whoosh whoosh—!"
A dense rain of arrows poured down on the Han army's chariot formation from all directions like locusts!
"Raise your shields! Take cover!" the officers shouted at the top of their lungs.
The wooden shields and simple cart boards were hit by arrows, making crackling sounds. Many arrows passed through the gaps, immediately causing muffled groans and screams in the formation.
Soldiers were shot by arrows and fell to the ground one after another.